it was 1985, the sun was hot, but juno was hotter. he was currently at work in family video, it was a nice job. kind of slow, pacing, it was usually on the weekends and nights where it got the most busiest. but juno didn't mind, it was just him and keith after all, but everytime juno's at work, he counts the minutes to when it ends just so he can drive himself to the new starcourt mall.
it was a new attraction that opened up this summer, and the one and only steve harrington worked at their ice cream shop called scoops ahoy!, juno found the name kind of ridiculous but thought the uniform that steve had to wear was cute.
juno's new friend, robin also worked there. the two had met at school in the fall after everything with will. so when both robin and steve told juno they got the job, he decided to take it in his hands to introduce the pair.
"you have to stop calling here" juno said on the phone
"work is slow"
"it is almost the fourth of july"
"meaning?"
"lots of people go to the beach instead of just going to the mall"
"no, that would mean more people should be at the mall, getting things for the fourth of july"
juno rolled his eyes in annoyance before hearing robin's voice in the background: "hey, i need your help up front!"
steve shouted back he be there in a minute, but juno said he was gonna let steve go before hanging up.
juno groaned before hearing keith from behind him: "hey, i need you to do the closing shift"
"what? no, i can't"
ever since keith became manager, juno hated it
"why not? you got someone you need to make out with?"
"gross, no, i just have plans...with friends"
"sorry, but no one else can, and i am the manager" keith said before walking away
"no one else can because there is no one else!" shouted juno
the teen groaned, but that meant once keith was out, and if it was slow, juno could close earlier than intended. but till then, juno went about his day, stacking up returned videos, and helping customers with returning videos and taking out videos.
a thirteen year old tried to rent out a rated R movie, juno scared them into thinking that the police would find out he was watching a rated R movie, and would come to his house and arrest him and his parents. the boy ran out crying.
once keith left, juno looked at the time, it was currently 8:00, if he starts his closing shift tasks now, he can finish at least at 8:30, meaning that he could close and leave to starcourt mall. so juno got a start, and just like he predicted no one really came in. it was extremely slow.
okay, only like one person came in, getting a ton of movies before juno practically pushed them out, finished up with his tasks and closed at 8:35 (five minutes off but whatever).
juno locked the doors and ran off to his car, yes ladies and gentlemen, juno got himself a car. once he was inside, he turned it out and drove off to starcourt mall.
the mall was packed, if anything it's been packed since it opened. so it was hard for juno to ever find parking, that was the least thing on his mind. once juno got out of his car, he beelined all the way to scoops ahoy!, juno's stomach turned as he saw customers leave just to see robin at the register.
"june!"
"robbie!"
juno ran over and went around the counter, to hug the teen. robin smiled glad to see juno before asking why he took so long to get her.
"i thought your shift ended at 4?"
"i ended up having the closing shift...but i sort of closed early" juno confessed
"of course you did, don't know where you little boy toy is..." robin answered
juno let out a small laugh before asking how it was picking up the ladies here at work. robin shrugged it off saying that it wasn't entirely easy and if anything the girls who came by would probably be more interested in steve instead.
"well i'll be your wingman if anything" juno answered
"i might take you up on that" answered robin
the door to the back opened, to reveal steve, who looked exhausted, but when he saw juno, his face lit up. juno smiled before getting off the counter and walking over to steve.
"juno!"
"hey, stevie nicks" juno responded
steve's smile dropped at the name, causing juno and robin to let out a laugh before asking what time they off shift.
"we're closing" robing groaned, before hanging her head low in disappointment
"ooh, when you guys close, can i take a tub home?" asked juno, looking into the ice cream
"no, we needs those for tomorrow" robin responded
"but, this one's....this one's almost empty, robin please! i beg of you"
robin shook her head
juno groaned before saying he'll be at the table till then, before steve grabbed him by the arm and pulled him to the back of the parlor and pulled him into a kiss. juno felt his face turn red, before telling steve that he should get back to work.
"robin's got it covered"
"steve!" responded juno
steve groaned heavily before leading juno out of the back room and back to the front to help serve the front.
as juno sat at the table, while robin and steve worked, the lights went out. juno looked up before getting up and looking at the exit, noticing that the rest of the mall had no lights either.
"power outage at the mall?" asked juno
"dunno, weird..." robin responded
the sound of clicking caused juno and robin to look over to see steve flicking the switch up and down. juno stared at him before telling him the only thing that light switch is gonna do is death for steve
"keep doing it, i'll kill you"
suddenly the lights turned on, steve looked at robin and then and juno saying: "let there be light"
"i'm so sorry you have to work with him"
"it feels like hell on earth" responded robin
steve let out a fake laugh causing juno to roll his eyes.
"so, you wanna go out to lover's lake?" steve asked once they closed up
"sorry, i'm taking robin home, then heading on home myself" responded juno
"no, i haven't seen you at all..." steve groaned, resting his head on juno's shoulder
juno rubbed his back, apologizing before saying that they'll see each other tomorrow. steve rolled his eyes, juno kissed his cheek before responding that he can pick up steve tomorrow and drop him off at work before he opens at family video
"really!" steve looks up with a huge smile on his face
"yes, really, now let me go, so i can take robin home" responded juno
steve nodded before kissing juno once more, and letting him go with robin.
"i thought i would never get home" robin responded, as they drove off to her house
"i'm sorry, i'm sorry" juno answered
robin brushed it off, before juno asked what were the plans for robin next year after graduation.
"aye, i don't like questions like that"
"i'm sorry"
"you say sorry alot, has anyone told you?"
"hopper has"
robin let out a small laugh before responding that she was just ready to head out of this town, and never look back, juno nodded before saying that robin sounds like everyone else here.
"well, aren't you going to north carolina for college?" asked robin
"that i am...oh! let's move to california together!"
"oh my god! that's such a good idea!" robin cheered
once they got to robin's house, juno waved bye as she got down and headed off inside, waving to juno one last time.
when juno got home, he found the lights off; so he shuffled quietly to his room, and just as he assumed he was out of the woods, the lights turned on.
"juno, what a surprise" hopper's voice emerged
"...hey,"
"where've you been? you said you had the closing shift, so i assumed you be back at least around 11:00"
"i went to the mall..."
"let me guess...because of steve?"
juno stayed quiet, before hopper waved it off and for next time to let him know next time. the teen nodded before scurrying off to his room.
"oh no, oh no, no, no, no!' juno was running around his room to then running around his house
"what is wrong?" asked eleven
"i'm late for work! and late for picking up steve, oh did he call?" asked juno
"four times, tell him to stop" hopper said
"well if i had a phone in my room..."
"not happening"
"but el has a walkie talkie in her room!"
"not happening, juno" responded hopper
juno rolled his eyes before putting on his vest for work and running out, he waved bye to eleven and hopper saying that he'll call them if anything before running off.
"i'm so sorry...i woke up late"
"it's okay, i'm hoping i see you later"
"me too..."
"juno...."
"i'll talk to hopper"
steve hummed in response before saying he'll see juno later before hanging up.
"ma'am, i promise you that stars wars is not going to cause your child to turn to worship the devil"
"are you sure?"
"i've seen it several times..so yeah, i'm sure, unless you think me being gay means committing a sin"
the woman looked shocked before leaving the videotape and walking out of the store. juno rolled his eyes, before grabbing the videotape and placing it back into the shelves before noticing how slow it was and taking the opportunity to call hopper.
"just be home at least by 12:00"
"12:30?"
"12:40, and that's my final offer"
juno nodded his head rapidly before thanking hopper and hanging up the phone. the teen leaned against the counter before looking over and seeing keith.
"what is it? and it better not be the closing shift, because i can't"
"i was gonna ask if you can clean up the accident that a kid made"
"i should be manager," juno snapped, shoving keith to the side and making his way to the cleaning supplies.
juno decided to stop by melvin's general store for lunch, to stop by and visit hopper who said he would be there visiting joyce in the meantime. juno just didn't like being at family video during lunch break because it meant being with keith the whole time, and juno wasn't having it.
so juno took his tuna sandwich and marched right over to melvin's general store where hopper and joyce were. ever since the new starcourt mall opened, downtown hawkin's business has been slower than ever, even for the video store because of the movie theater opening up.
"i'm here" juno announced
"juno is another example" hopper grumbled
the teen furrowed his eyebrows in confusion unsure what the conversation was about but hearing the upset tone in hopper's voice did not make juno want to eat here.
"what did i not do?" asked juno
"being out late with steve, you know you haven't even brought steve to the house for me to properly meet him, i bet he's just as annoying as mike"
"exactly why i haven't brought him over, wait is this about el having mike over yesterday?" asked juno
hopper nodded his head before joyce quickly stepped in saying that juno was a big kid and he can take care of himself, even if it led to things more than kissing. juno's face turned completely red, realizing what joyce was indicating.
"wait, what!" hopper was angry
"we're not doing anything!" juno quickly protested
"is that why you were out late?"
"can we please change the subject!"
the rest of lunch break was helping hopper find a way to talk to eleven about the events of last night and her relationship with mike in general.
juno finished up his shift for the day, before heading off to starcourt mall. the teen was over the moon about heading back to the mall to see his friend and boyfriend; juno threw his vest in the backseat and drove off.
juno liked the night time more than the daytime in the summer. sometimes juno takes the long way to the mall, because he likes to look at hawkins a bit more, realizing little things like how a few months ago, he only just started living here and was 100% against it. but now, he had friends, family...a really cute boyfriend to make it better. but within a year, juno would be off to the next chapter in life and he wasn't even sure how to feel about that.
sometimes juno wonders what his parents think, if they were still alive, would juno ever meet steve? any of his friends? he asked this to the harrington boy once.
"do you think in another lifetime, where i never move to hawkins, we find our way to each other?"
"i don't know...."
juno knew that was a loaded question, so he quickly apologized for the question but steve brushed it off as nothing, saying that juno had nothing to be sorry for and that his question was definitely a thought process
"honey, i'm home" juno teased
"thank god, you're here! i can't take your boyfriend anymore" robin answered
"i should just work here, i'm an honorary employee" responded juno
"you're just saying that for the free ice cream"
juno nodded his head rapidly before steve came from the back carrying a tub of ice cream to restock.
"oh my stars, he's actually working" juno exclaimed
"you know what, i in fact do work hard"
"i'm sure you do, with all the hand scooping" juno responded
"hey, his break is in five minutes, please take him away as fast as you can, he's hurting my head" robin confessed
juno shook his head at steve, shaming him for making robin be stressed out at work. steve rolled his eyes before gently grabbing juno's wrist and dragging him to the back of the store.
the couple sat in each other's presence, talking about what they possibly could do after work, and steve mentioned how he wanted to take juno out to lover's lake and look at the stars.
"no way do you wanna take me to lover's lake to look at the stars" juno answered
"and what if i do?"
"then i be surprised steve harrington" juno responded, leaning in for a kiss
robin banged on the sliding window door, before saying that she needed help at the front. juno got up quickly and asked if he could scoop some ice cream.
"no, because if something fucks up, it's on us"
"fine, i'll scoop my own ice cream later" responded juno
after work, juno waited for them to close up, before juno said he was gonna drop robin off like usual, before asking if steve wanted to meet at his house before heading off to lover's lake. steve nodded his head before kissing him on the lips once more, before leaving off to his car.
"i still can't believe you're dating him...of all people" responded robin
"who else would i be dating?"
"if i'm being honest...i kind of thought you were dating jonathan byers"
juno stopped in his tracks and looks at robin and asks her what makes her think that.
"i don't know, jonathan byers is all quiet and into books or whatever and so are you, or so i thought you were but i still felt like you guys would click more than...harrington"
"you can't be serious" responded juno
"i am, like steve is all 'i'm steve, mr. popular guy' and you're well...juno, and i don't mean that in a bad way i'm just thinking in what universe caused you two to clash together"
"i was depressed and drunk at a halloween party"
juno looked at robin, who sat in the passenger seat, with a sad look on her face. the young york teen told robin it was nothing, and that he was over it now. or so juno likes to believe, so much can happen in a few months but change can take some time.
"it's almost a year" juno whispered as they pulled away from the mall parking lot
"since?"
"since, my parents....the car crash, since i moved to hawkins..."
"wow...how does it feel?"
"i have no idea, i think with everything that happened last year, i just...i never had time to process things, there are still some things that i feel like i still haven't processed...i still haven't cried. is that weird?"
"no, it isn't, people grieve in different ways, and it takes time..." robin responded
that's when they finally arrived at robin's house, juno felt bad for depressing the moment.
"hey, if you ever need anything, i'm here" robin answered
juno smiled before waving bye to robin seeing her enter her house.
the york teen arrived back home, and saw steve's car and instant panic hit him.
"oh no, oh no, no no"
juno ran into the house and saw hopper and steve on the couch, the room was tense.
"steve, uh...you wanna head out? sorry for keeping you waiting" juno scurried over and grabbed steve by the arm before hopper stopped him
"i was actually having a conversation here with harrington, so why don't you wait a few seconds"
"that takes time away from my curfew time" juno responded
"i'll give you an extra fifteen minutes"
juno stayed quiet before storming into eleven's room and flopping on her bed.
"he does not like boyfriends"
"what?"
"you have steve, i have mike, he does not like that we have boyfriends"
juno let out a small chuckle before sitting up and saying that all he wanted was to go out with steve. eleven nodded before juno realized she had his moonknight comic on her bed.
"you started reading moonknight?"
"yes, i enjoy it, maybe more than daredevil"
"ouch, hey, maybe i can lend you some scarlet witch comics, she has magic like you" answered juno
before juno can hear eleven's response, there's a knock on the door, revealing hopper.
"you're free to go, but be home by 12:55, and remember"
"remember what?"
hopper's face went red before saying that juno knew what. the teen was confused before he slowly caught on and nodded his head rapidly before saying bye to eleven and hopper.
juno apologized profusely for hopper's behavior and whatever he was talking about with steve
"he scared the crap out of me...i think at some point i really wanted eleven to come out and i don't know do something?"
"i'm so sorry"
they arrived at lover's lake, juno looked out at the lake while steve struggled lighting up a candle. the young teen let out a smile before telling steve that it was alright.
"you're right, we got the moon that'll shine down on our love" steve said
"you know what, nevermind keep struggling with that lighter" juno responded
"you love me" steve responded smiling
juno rolled his eyes, holding back the urge to say that he did love steve.
steve finally got the candle to light up before scooching closer to juno, who was lost in his thoughts. the harrington boy started to take notice before asking juno if everything was alright.
"oh, it's nothing...really, i don't want to bum the mood...like i always do" juno said whispering the last part
"what was that?"
"nothing, steve, let's just look at the lake"
"juno, what is wrong?"
the young teen shook his head once more, before staying quiet, looking at the lake once more. steve didn't stop however, before asking juno once more what was going on.
"i just, how am i okay? why am i okay? i shouldn't i still be crying or something over my parents"
"what?"
"it's been almost a year since my parents died, and i still haven't cried, and i don't think i processed any of this, and i just, i don't know i think i moved on too fast, like what if one of these days, i just break down whether at work or even right now at our date, oh my god then i be the worst boyfriend ever and then you'll realize that and break up with me-"
"juno, slow down, wait"
the teen apologized, hiding his face in his knees, he felt steve's hand on his back, rubbing up and down.
"you don't have to be sorry...have you talked to...what was her name? that counselor"
"ms. kelly, you mean?"
steve nodded his head, before continuing on asking if juno's talked to her at all, during his first year at hawkins.
"not really, not after i sort of snapped at her last year on halloween" juno responded
it was quiet before juno asked why did steve have to graduate this year
"because, that's how life works?" steve was not sure how to answer
"i just think, i'm a burden if i tell her how i'm feeling and plus i feel bad..."
"you're not one though, you kind of saved the world with us, and are the coolest boyfriend ever" steve said, kissing juno, all over the face
juno let out a laugh, before apologizing once more. steve shook his head, before saying that juno once again did not have to say sorry for anything.
"well, it's a good thing, i have something prepared" steve said
"is it you saying we should skinny dip?"
"what? no...."
juno laughed before saying what was his plan
"bam! nancy drew!" steve pulled out a book from the nancy drew collection
"oh my god, are you gonna read it to me? i'm can't wait" juno said
"you don't sound too excited, wait till i do my voices"
juno laughed before settling against steve's shoulder, listening to him start the novel.